CD Reviews

5-Stars-Plus

negevoli | 05/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Reviewer: marrano
"What "Hairspray" is to John Waters, "Latin ala Lee" is to Peggy Lee. It is a masterpiece of mid-century camp, with groovy and sometimes frantic Afro-Cuban and Latin arrangements of familiar Broadway tunes, topped by the light and inimitably breathy phrasing of Miss Peggy Lee. Some of the songs are just so far out there -- like the "cha cha" version of "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" -- that you can't imagine how she could get away with it."With all due respect to a fellow music lover and fan of Miss Peggy Lee, I beg to differ with your view that this album is "camp." I am passionate about music and when these albums (both I and II) were cut, Latin music was all the rage, -- from Sergio Mendes to the Ray Conniff Latin-themed albums. I remember the era well. It was before rock and roll and my beloved Rolling Stones. Other albums I purchased around this time and still play from time to time include several top jazz albums with Latin themes by performers such as Zaviar Cugat, Ahmad Jamal, and many, nany others -- if I were at home and had access to my collection I could list them for you.So calling this album camp is a disservice to Peggy Lee and everyone who contributed to these albums. These songs never sounded better and I have heard the Broadway cast versions of almost all of them. What Peggy Lee did to these show tunes was liven them up and make them infinitely more romantic and listenable.I bet you are young -- you kids are great but you know nothing.
Nothing."

Peggy with a touch of Latin

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 05/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These two albums were recorded in 1960 and feature Peggy singing to a Latin-styled musical backing. Despite the music, Peggy sings the same way she always did, and the songs selected here are also typical although the second album on this twofer contains some Latin songs - Fantastico, Non dimenticar and Ole..Many of the songs will therefore be familiar to fans of the Great American Songbook and Broadway show tunes, right from the opening Heart (if that title doesn't mean anything, you may remember the chorus line You gotta have heart). On the street where you live, Surrey with the fringe on top, Hey there, I could have danced all night, The party's over, I enjoy being a girl, Come dance with me, Love and marriage, You stepped out of a dream - these are just some of the classic songs here. Peggy's covers are always distinctive, but the Latin style makes them even more so.Two bonus tracks - Till there was you (which has never sounded better than when sung here by Peggy) and Together wherever we go - make this even more desirable than it would have been anyway.These albums, while typical in many ways of Peggy's music, are distinctive simply because of the Latin style. For that reason, this twofer is one of the most important among the many released."